Composure
by kmcniff97
Summary: Lia is a senior in high school at only 15, and when she stumbles across Doctor Spencer Reid she realizes they share more than just a similar mind, they share DNA. With her mother's own demons progressing, calm and collected Lia grows up much faster than planned, while uncovering new aspects of her life.
1. Chapter 1

**Composure**

Summary: Lia is a senior in high school at only 15, and when she stumbles across Doctor Spencer Reid she realizes they share more than just a similar mind, they share DNA. With her mother's own demons progressing, calm and collected Lia grows up much faster than planned, while uncovering new aspects of her life.

**Chapter 1**

The crisp October air brushes against my cheeks as I make my way along the concrete sidewalk, blades of grass peaking through its cracks. It is exactly 2:13 in the afternoon; I have spent the past seven hours confined by my high schools walls. It being a Friday means no track practice, which I'm relieved over because who wants to run 4 miles with a cold? My mind still buzzing with thoughts of molecular bonds and quantum theory, I approached the stone walkway leading up to the front door of the home I had lived in for the entirety of my short life. I look to the right of me to see my mother's Volvo still sitting in the driveway.

She hadn't left the house.

I turn my key in the lock and swing into the foyer. I'm greeted by my plump 2 year-old tortuous shell kitty, Penny. "Hi sweet girl" I coo as she makes a high pitched squeak- her substitute for a meow. "Mom? I'm home" I shout into the air, kicking my shoes off and tossing my bag into the living room before making my way up the carpeted staircase. Four steps to the left and I'm standing in the doorway of my mother's room. She's sitting up right against the far wall, eyes closed and jaw slightly open. She lets out a quiet snore. "Mom?" I repeat as I walked towards her.

"_mmm"_ she sighs and drops her head. To her right is a near empty bottle of gin.

"Alright, come on" I take her gently by the arm and hoist her up and lead her to her bed, which she collapses into. "Have you eaten?" I ask, she lets out a weak 'no'. "I'll be back in a few" I promise and head back downstairs into the kitchen, where Penny is waiting.

The first thing I do is wipe down the counter top, second I wash my hands. Feed Penny a few treats. I go to the bread box, take out a loaf of white bread. Take out the peanut butter from the cabinet, the jelly from the fridge. Smear an even amount of the peanut spread on one piece of bread, jelly on the other. Put the sandwich on a paper plate, cut it into even fourths, and repeat the action so there are two PB&amp;J's in front of me. I trap one sandwich in a layer of cellophane. Grab two glasses from the dishwasher, pour orange juice in one and water in the other. I pick up the wrapped plate with my left hand and the water with my right. I carefully walk the thirteen steps up and into my mother's room.

"Mom, come on you have to eat" I say, holding the plate in above her. She groans and covers her face with a pillow. "Mom," I nudge her, but she just pulls the covers over her head. I let out a long sigh and leave the cellophane covered plate on her nightstand, along with the glass of water. I go back downstairs, grab _my_ sandwich and _my _glass, bring it over to the suede recliner and plop myself diagonal to the television. I place the orange juice and plate on the coffee table next to me and bend over, reaching into my back pack and pulling out a Physics textbook and two folders. I crack the text book with my right hand a quarter of a sandwich in my right, then begin the 6 worksheets that correspond with the text. Penny watches from a two foot radius, curling up and taking periodic naps. I skim the chapter in a matter of minutes and continue onto the questions, which only takes me the better half of fifteen minutes. I move onto to making up any work I have missed while absent; consisting of an AP psych paper, an AP stats packet, a physics packet, an English reading, and a history DBQ. I worked well into the evening, taking brakes periodically to go to the bathroom and make a cup of coffee. Just as the sun begins to dip below the horizon, my mother emerges from her bedroom and makes her way down the stairs.

"Hey mom" I pipe up and cross over into the kitchen.

"_hey sweetie"_ she replies and pecks my forehead, breath still streaked with liquor. _"How was school?"_ she asks, opening the refrigerator and pulling out three Chinese food containers.

"It was alright, nothing special" I answer while grabbing two paper plates from the cabinet.

"_Any plans for tonight?"_ her lips mouth.

"Nothing tonight, but tomorrow Ethan and I are sitting in on a lecture at Georgetown" I inform her, Ethan being my gay counterpart and best friend of five years. "A unit from the FBI is going to be speaking about the analysis of behavior in sociopaths and serial offenders" I rattle on as I empty a serving of vegetable lo mien onto the plate in front of me.

"_Sounds interesting"_ she replies, eating chicken and broccoli from the carton. I can tell she isn't exactly present.

Minutes filled with silence pass as the two of us chew.

"_How was practice?"_ she pipes up.

"We have Fridays off" I remind her, she gulps.

"_Oh, that's right. Sorry"_ she takes a bite of chicken. My eyes scan the floor and stop at Penny's food dish, which I fill and replace her water.

"I'm beat, I'll be in my room if you need me" I sigh, "love you" I say as I head for the stairs

"_Love you too" _she shouts after me.

Upon entering my bedroom, I am greeted by Penny laying three feet from the doorway. She stretches out, arches her back, and then leans into me as I scratch her chin. "Come on sweet girl" I coo and pat the end of my bed. Penny jumps up and slips under my comforter, where she then curls up drifts off to sleep. I sit upright against my headboard and stuff a pillow behind my back, settling in with Isaac Asimov's _The Naked Sun._ I then move on to read his entire _Foundation _series, and finish in a matter of two hours. Although it is only nine at night, I cover myself in a mountain of blankets and close my eyes in hope of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I forgot to mention, this story takes place season 5! **

**Chapter 2**

My eyes flutter as the sun's rays cast a warm sensation on my exposed shoulders. I glance at the clock- _**9:06am**_. Penny is busy peering out the window into the street, birds swooping from left to right while chirping up a storm. I sit up and swing my legs over my mattress, let out a yawn, and stretch. I check my phone and am greeted by a message from Ethan- explaining that he was newly grounded and would not be able to attend the lecture. Unfazed, I step out of my room and make my way down the wooden stairs, Penny following shortly behind. I enter the kitchen and turn on the coffee pot, brew a cup, add cream and sugar, and settle down in front of the television in time for Saturday morning cartoons.

An hour passes by and I jump in and out of the shower in ten minutes, where Penny sits on the toilet lid in hopes of me opening the bathroom window. I let my hair air dry and fashion a loose French braid, throw on a pair of light blue jeans and a grey button down cardigan, slip on my plain black converse. I swing my brown leather satchel over my shoulder, it holding a series of notebooks and writing utensils. My mother is still sleeping when I head downstairs, where I replace Penny's food and water before heading out the door.

I retrieve my bike from the shed, fashion my helmet tight. Pound on the peddles for four minutes and I'm at the metro station, bringing my bike to the designated rack. I weave my bike lock through the triangular frame connecting three support bars, loop it through one of the four holes on my helmet, and secured it.

I hop on the metro leading to Washington DC and situate myself on its plastic yellow seats. Out of my bag I pull _The Inventions, Researches, and Writings of Nikola Tesla, _along with my head phones_. _I pop in one ear bud, leaving my left ear sensitive to my surroundings. I bury my face in my book, brain soaking in the sound of Sublime.

The metro stops and I look up from my reading as people pile in. A rather slim man rushes into the car, and in doing so drops a series of papers folders, and I hear the thud of a book hitting the floor.

"_Really?"_ he says, obviously frazzled. We both crouch down at the same time, he picks up two manila folders and a few papers fall out. I snatch up the sheets along with the book he dropped, grinning when I see the title.

"Dragons Of Eden- nice choice" I pipe up as we make accidental eye contact. "Can't go wrong with Carl Sagan" I say and pass over what I collected from the floor.

"_Very true"_ the dark haired man replies with a small smirk. "_Thank you, f-for picking everything up_" he says while putting said items back into his messenger bag.

"No problem!" I reply with a smile and sink back into my book.

Twenty minutes pass and I am at the foot of Georgetown's largest lecture hall. I step inside to see the hall almost entirely filled. In a sea of college students, I take the empty seat nearest to the stage. Out of my bag, I pull a black spiral notebook and open it to a clean page. I then take out a multicolored ballpoint pen- so I can color code my notes as I write them. Within seconds, the chairman of Georgetown's humanities department emerges from the left door and into the middle of the stage. Behind him follow 3 FBI agents. One agent comes out-presumably in his fifties with an olive-sort complication, dark facial hair with hints of grey. Behind him follows a rather striking woman, thirties maybe, ebony hair and skin almost as pale as mine. The third agent walks in and I do a double take, then a triple take, and realize that it is in fact the man from the metro.

"Weird" I think to myself.

They each stand behind a podium with papers in front of them, and the lecture hall slowly quiets down. The chairman of the Humanities department approaches the middle of the stage, and opens her mouth to speak:

"_Ladies and gentlemen, today we have the great pleasure of welcoming 3 members of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit here at Georgetown" _her lips stop moving and all 200 people In the lecture hall applaud. The chairman exits the stage.

"_Good afternoon, I am Supervisory Special Agent David Ross, and with me here today are SSA Emily Prentiss and SSA Dr. Spencer Reid"_

Again, weird.

"_We are a part of a seven-person unit located it the FBI head quarters in Quantico Virginia" _Agent Rossi introduces, my head pops up from my notebook and a puzzled look forms on my face as his words spill from his mouth. There are 123,497 other people in this world with the same last name _Reid_, so I examine his features from head to toe and then put it in the back of my head. "It's a coincidence" I think to myself. A coincidence.

"_Today we will give you a glimpse into the mind of a variety of killers, and teach you how to pick their brains" _Agent Rossi goes on, leaving the students on the edge of their chairs. The agents immediately dive into the analysis of human behavior and the origin of it, myself hanging on to every word.

They speak on how the psychopathic mind differs from the normal, and how they process every day things differently. The more they speak, the more I think about the agent that shares the same last name. As explanations for this that and the other thing are being tossed around the lecture hall, I analyze every mannerism of the young doctor, from hand motions to his speaking a mile a minute.

The agents run out of time in a little over an hour, and apologize for their shortened visit. I gather my things and exit the hall behind the agents, rushing to the metro which I spend twenty minutes on, then I hop on my bike and turning a 20 minute ride into a 10 minute one.

I reach my driveway so eagerly that I don't even bother locking up my bike. My mother's car is absent, presumably in the parking lot of her office building. I brush it off and zoom through the front door, slowing down and treading lightly up the stairs. I reach my room and open my bag, pulling out the notebook I scribbled every detail of the past two hours in. I plop down on my bed with said book and open up my lap top.

I type the doctors name and the state of Virginia into a search engine. Immediately pops up headline after head line with his name plastered all over the screen. I click on the first link: _"Child prodigy joins elite FBI unit at age 22". _Inside of the article read:

"_Dr. Spencer Reid, after graduating high school at just 12 years old, attended the California Institute of Technology and holds PhDs in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering, with an additional BA in Psychology and sociology-" _I scanned the entire article, and then 9 more. I dug as deep as I possibly could, trying to find one thing that would separate the two of us. His intellect surpasses mine of course, him being 27 and me being 15. There's no need to look at the notes I wrote for myself- his image was branded into my brain.

He's tall and lanky, a build comparable to mine, though my legs denser than his. Our skin tones almost identical, facial features strikingly similar. I recall his demeanor being very fidgety, almost verging on nervous.

I quickly shut my lap top and head down to the basement floor of the house, where my mother put the items my father left when I was 7. I pull a plastic lid off of its matching tub, containing old shirts and miscellaneous books, and then I spot a red folder at the very bottom of the bin. I open the folder and my eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

_It was a copy of a birth certificate._ _A birth certificate that answered all of my questions._

I have a brother.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

I spend hours sitting on the stone cold concrete floor of our unfinished basement, staring at the document in front of me although every bit of it is already pressed into my brain. I am broken from my trance when I hear the shut of a door and the stumbling of feet above me. I quickly slip the red folder under my shirt, then make my way up the creaky stair case. I place the folder on the stairs leading to the second floor, so I can get it later.

"Mom?" I call out as I hear the crashing of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. I take ten steps and my mother comes into view, rummaging in the refrigerator and pulling out a carton of eggs. I watch from a far as she cracks two eggs into a pan, shells and all.

"What are you doing?" I question as the pan sizzles.

"_Lia! You're home!"_ she grins and turns to the counter behind her, where set up is a cutting board, onions, cheese, and a rather large cutting knife. _"I'm making an omelet, you want?" _she asks as if it was seven in the morning on a Sunday. She tries to chop the red onion in front of her, but before she could do any damage-

"Mom you're going to cut your fingers off" I warn and take the knife out of her hand. Her smile turns into a frown as I turn off the stove and toss the pan into the sink, running it under cold water.

"_Hey!" _she shouts and goes to grab the pan out of the sink.

"Mom, you're drunk. I'm not letting you operate a stove" I assert almost robotically. "It's 2 o'clock in the morning, why don't you call it a night and go to sleep?" I try and hide the anger in voice, knowing she won't remember this when she wakes up tomorrow.

"_But I'm hungry"_ she whines and pouts, tugging on my arm as she slides down the cabinets and onto the tile floor. I let out a large sigh as I know how the rest of the night will play out.

"Mom, let go of my arm" I say as her grip tightens. I rip myself from her grasp and she slumps against the cabinets.

"_It's not fair"_ she shouts, slightly slurring, and tilts her head backwards, tears following shortly behind. I go into the pantry and pull out a sleeve of Ritz crackers.

"Come on, let's go" I say as I grab her by the armpits to try to hoist her up, but her legs go limp. I let out another sigh as she slurs nonsense to herself. I drag her to the living room couch, take her shoes off, and cover her with a blanket. I place the crackers on the floor below her, although I know she has probably already forgotten about them. Within moments she's snoring. I grab the folder from the stairs and return to the kitchen to clean up the mess my mom made; get a glass of water for when my mother wakes up, then decide to spend the night on the recliner a few feet from the sofa- in case she wakes up in the middle of the night. I have become accustomed to doing this over the past few years, just to make sure she makes it through the night alright.

Four hours of interrupted shut eye and the sun begins to rise, casting a layer of stillness over the surrounding area. Giving up on sleep and sure my mother will not wake for a matter of hours, I retreat into my bedroom where Penny is sleeping soundly on my pillow.

Deciding that a run will clear my head, I go into my closet and pull out a pair of black compression pants, a plain white t-shirt, and a light purple sports bra. I slip on my running sneakers and next thing I know I'm out the door. I try and focus shearly on my feet pounding against the asphalt, putting my troubles out of my mind, and for the four miles and forty-five minutes of my adventure it works, until I arrive back at the foot of my driveway and there it all is again.

When I walk through the front door at exactly 6:57 am, I head straight up the stairs and jump into the shower, Penny following me into the bathroom as per usual and takes her perch on the white toilet lid.

Eight hours pass and I have not moved from my bed. My time has been spent online locating as much information as I can find on my so-called half-brother; and I find a great deal. Mostly about accomplishments he's made, articles that his team is featured in, and pieces he's written on a sloo of highly intellectual concepts. I for the life of me cannot find an e-mail address that I could reach him at, and I don't think this is the type of situation you discuss over the phone. So, I'll have to find another way.

The clock strikes 7 and I decide it's time to eat.

When I open my bedroom door, I hear the faint sound of the television, two voices peaking through. Curious, I walk down the stairs quietly, and from there I can see directly into the living room. On the couch is my mother, wine glass in her hand, and sitting with his arm around her is John, my mothers on and off again boyfriend- also a drunk. The last time I saw him I almost called the cops because he was whaling on my mom, but he left before I could even dial the number.

I purposely avoid the living room and slip into the kitchen, trying my best to stay as quiet as possible. I take a bowl out from the cabinet and place it on the counter, then I take a box of cereal from the pantry. I pour the honey nut cheerios into the bowl, and fill in the spaces with 2% milk. Just as I thought I was in the clear-

"_Lia? Is that you?" _ My mother calls, I roll my eyes.

"Yeah mom, just me" I groan and make my way to the bottom of the stairs.

"_Come here for a second sweetie"_ she surprisingly doesn't slur. I roll my eyes yet again and slowly walk into the living room, my cold demeanor following behind.

"Yeah?" I raise, trying not to look at the pot-bellied loser directly to my right.

"_Come sit down"_ she pats the spot next to her.

"_Yeah! Long time no see sweet cheeks"_ John spews with his grimy smile and grabs my ass, I flinch and he un-grips.

"I have a lot of homework, sorry" I say as I shove a spoonful of cereal into my mouth.

"_Come on, please?"_ my mother begs and grabs my hand. For a second I consider her offer, but then I remember- _what a horrible idea._

"I'm sorry, I'll watch a movie with you tomorrow" I say into the eyes of my mother, "Promise" I grin and she kisses the top oh my hand. Our hands split and turn to leave the room, "Love you" I call, _"love you back"_ she replies.

I get up to my room and woof down the bowl of cereal within minutes. I sit in silence, with the exception of Penny's purring, and gather my thoughts. I pull together every official document and paper that link the two of us as siblings, and place them in a dark blue folder and slide them right into my messenger bag. I glance at the clock – 7:38, and start dialing my phone.

"Ethan!" I shout before he could even say hello.

He sighs_, "Yes Lia?" _

"Would you be up for an adventure after practice tomorrow?" I ask eagerly.

"_I guess so, where to?"_ he replies innocently.

"Lake Ridge" I completely make up, as it's the closest town to Quantico I can think of.

"_What's in Lake Ridge?"_ he asks

"You'll see tomorrow, I'll pick you up at 4:30 tomorrow" I tell him, which clearly causes some skepticism on his end.

"_Lia you can't legally drive" _he remindes me,

"Of shush, I'll see you tomorrow" I scoff

"_See ya then"_ Ethan replies and the call goes dead. Little does he know there's nothing in Lake Ridge, but there is something in Quantico: the FBI Headquarters'.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Okay, I'm going to do it" I say gripping the edges of my steering wheel, head leaning forward and resting on the horn

"_You've said that four times already"_ Ethan pipes up. The two of us had been sitting in the south parking lot of the FBI Headquarters for approximately twenty minutes.

"I think I'm actually going to do it this time" I say, but sit still. Thirty seconds pass and I sit upright, making Ethan jump. "I'm going to do it" I take my seatbelt off and open the car door.

"I'm doing it" I repeat as I step out of the car and swing my messenger bag over my shoulder.

"_You're doing it!"_ Ethan calls from the passenger's seat

"I'M DOING IT" I shout as I shut the driver's side door. I hear the muffled sound of Ethan screaming _"YOU'RE DOING IT". _Just as the door meets its hinges, I see the dark haired doctor waltz out of the building.

"I'M NOT DOING IT" I shout as I immediately jump back into the car.

"_Why not?!"_ Ethan counters, confused.

"He's right there!" I point shakily and Ethan sighs. "I can't just run up to the guy in the middle of the parking lot and tell him that I'm his sister that he didn't know existed" I rattle out frantically. "Tomorrow, I'll do it tomorrow" I sigh and put my seatbelt back on.

"_Are you actually going to do it tomorrow or will it be just like today?"_ Ethan questions while take my mom's car out of park.

"I'll do it, I swear" I reply as I back out of the parking spot.

"_If you say so"_ he responds and we're back on our thirty minute journey home.

I drop Ethan off and arrive back at my house at 6:42pm.

"Mom! I'm home" I shout into the air and kick off my shoes. Penny comes running down the stairs and weaves in and out of my legs. "Hello sweet girl" I coo and scratch her chin.

"Mom?" I repeat, making my way into the living room, where my mother is sleeping soundly on the couch. I pick up her legs and sit under them, placing them back on my lap. She stirs and lets out a gentle groan. I turn on the television and scroll through the TV guide, settling on the original 'X-Men' film, keeping the promise I made to my mother the night before.

"I don't think I can do it" I say to Ethan in the FBI's parking lot.

"_Lia, you have to. I will personally kick you out of this car"_ he replies, and I am fully aware that he is not joking. I do not respond.

"_Alright"_ Ethan throws his hand up and takes off his seatbelt. _"Out!"_ he screams continues to collide his foot with my right arm.

"Ow!" I shout as he pounds. "Jeez I'm going!" I finally agree to get out of the car, and I do. Ethan locks the doors immediately. I flash him the finger and he returns it.

I center myself and take a deep breath. "Alright Lia, now is the time" I mumble to myself before making my way up the concrete ramp and into the building. In front of me is a man behind a desk and partition. I approach.

"Hi, would you be able to connect me to an agent?" I ask in an octave higher than usual.

"_What agent are you looking for?"_ the burly man replies

"Supervisory Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid, of the Behavioral Analysis Unit" I say, "what a mouthful" I think to myself.

"_Get on the last elevator down this hallway, and go to the seventh floor. That should bring you to the BAU's bull pen" _he replies in a friendly tone. _"They should just be getting in" _he adds.

"Great, thank you" I smile and follow his exact instructions.

I'm on the elevator and we just passed the sixth floor, and the knot in my stomach turns to stone. Then the little number '7' lights up and the doors open. I step out of the giant metal box and am met with a set of glass doors, which I pass through. Then another.

And there I am. In the middle of the Behavioral Analysis Unit's bull pen. I go up to the nearest person I can find and ask a red headed woman-

"Do you know where I could find Doctor Spencer Reid?"

She looks me up and down before telling me that the team had just gotten back from a case, and are on their way up. She shows me his desk and tells me to wait there. I don't feel comfortable sitting down in his seat, so I just stand, tapping my hand against my thigh incessantly. My nerves grow as seconds tick by and it feels like I was to throw up and cry at the same time.

"You can do it Lia, you can do it" I repeat to myself over and over again, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. Just as I think about running back through those glass doors, they open and six agents flow in, including the exact person I am looking for. A tall, rather handsome dark man follows two of the three agents from the Georgetown lecture, along with a yellow haired petite woman with a stack of manila folders. Leading the pack is a dark haired straight faced man, presumably their team leader, and Spencer trailed behind the pack. They all exchange puzzled looks as they see the

"_Um, can we help you with anything?"_ A blonde haired woman asks. My eyes widen and I freeze.

"Y-yeah, I uh, I need to talk to Dr. Reid" I croak nervously. All agents look at him and back again.

"_I'm sorry, but who are you?" _he asks as his team members disperse skeptically to their own desks.

"I-I'm Lia," I stutter, "um, Lia Reid" I choke out and his expression turns a combination of confused and concern.

"I'm uh- i'm your sister" I stutter and go searching for the documents in my bag.

"I found a copy of your birth certificate in my basement," I whip out the paper, "h-here's mine- see? They were both signed by William Reid" I force out of me, "And I read somewhere that you have an eidetic memory? Well, s-so do I" I admitted and he picks his face up out of the papers and makes eye contact with me. His eyes are a dark brown, not exactly as dark as mine. Our bone structure is identical, they shape of our eyes the same. We both look each other up and down. We have a similar build, though I harbor more muscle in my legs and arms.

"I'd understand if you'd want to run a DNA-" I begin saying but Spencer cuts me off.

"_There's no need"_ he says while looking down at the documents again. "_You're 15?_" he asks, eyes narrow, tone curious.

"Yeah, for 6 months now" I reply, "But I'm a senior in high school" I tell him; I can feel the eyes of his team members burning into my back. There's a silence and my stomach starts to churn. "I tried finding an email address I could contact you at, but I didn't have any luck so I thought I would come here" I explain nervously, quietly taking deep breaths.

"I don't mean to overwhelm you, I can come back another time; I know you just got in" I rattle on nervously. Just as I'm about to walk away-

"_Wait-" _Spencer pipes up. "_Here, sit"_ he offers and pulls a second chair up to his desk.

"Oh, thank you" I reply and pop a squat. Spencer is still examining the documents, although I know the content is already imprinted in his brain.

"_You said you found this copy in your basement?"_ he asks again.

"Yeah, it was in a box of my dad's stuff from when he left when I was seven" I confess, eyes directed at the floor. Splashed by a sudden wave of nausea and the overwhelming feeling that I need to leave- get out as soon as possible.

"I-I'm sorry- this was a mistake" I say as I grab a pen, "I should really go home, here's my phone number. I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you" I continue and rocket out of the bull pen, Spencer standing up and shouting _"wait!" _after me.

I run out of the building and make a bee line for the car. I knock incessantly on the window until Ethan unlocks the door.

"_How'd it go?"_ he asks as I'm lightly panting.

"I met him" I say, "I met him but I freaked out and ran" I come clean and start the car.

"_Lia, no. Get back in there" _he asserts and takes the keys out of the ignition.

"Give me my keys back!" I shout, irritated.

"_We are not leaving here until you do it"_ he replies and I sink into my seat. Suddenly he looked out the window and and his expression flashed with confusion. "_Wait, Lia isn't that him?_" he says and my blood runs cold.

_He followed me out._

"Shit" I mutter and dip below eyesight. Then of course, Ethan hops out of the car.

"_She's over here!"_ he shouts with his hands around his mouth. Spencer looks at him skeptically.

"_Lia, she's in the drivers seat"_ he blabs and I feel like throwing up the entire contents of my stomach, yet again.

"You fucking suck" I mutter and bash my fist on the steering wheel. Next thing I know-

"_Hey"_ he greets awkwardly,, waving his hand from outside the car.

"Hey" I reply, face beet red.

"_I'm sorry if I scared you away"_ he apologizes, eyes squinting at the suns rays.

"It's okay, I scared myself away" I say back, cracking a small smile.

"_Do you drink coffee?" _he asks,

"Y-yeah, why?" I stutter.

"_Why don't you come back upstairs? I think we have uh- a lot to go over" _he offers and i quickly reply "Sure" as I slip out of the car. I give Ethan a death glare and he gets back into the Volvo, and Spencer and I take a silent, awkward trip back up the BAU bullpen.


	5. Chapter 5

When we walk through the glass doors I can tell his team is trying to do anything but stare at me. I see a few of them exchange looks as Spencer leads me to a coffee pot. He pours himself a cup, hands me an 'FBI' mug, and fills it with the black bitter liquid.

"_Cream or sugar?"_ he asks,

"Both please" I reply as he passes the sugar packets and carton of half and half over to me. I empty three sugars into the cup and add approximately four tablespoons of cream. We sit down at a small round table next to the coffee station, and silence falls yet again.

"_So uh- you said you have an eidetic memory?"_ he asks and I nod my head.

"I'm not nearly as smart as you are, though" I shake my head, "an IQ of 187 and graduating high school at 12? I can't top that" I say with a chuckle in my voice. The coffee has calmed my nerves immensely; I am no longer on the verge of tears.

"_I uh- I see you did your research"_ he replies with grin.

"A lot of it" I laugh back. "I know you went to Caltech AND MIT, and I also know you hold PhDs in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering, with additional BA's in Psychology and sociology" I rattle out- "and that you joined the BAU at 22, which is practically unheard of" I continue spewing information. "Wow, that came out a lot creepier than I thought, sorry" I apologize and my toes curl inside my shoes.

"_No, not creepy at all"_ he grins. _"So, what drew you to this?"_ he asks with his eyes narrowed.

"Well- at first I ran into you on the metro" I begin explaining, "you dropped your things and I helped you pick them up" I continue with my eyes analyzing his features and comparing them to mine.

"_That's right- you were the one that commented on my copy of Dragons of Eden"_ he realizes and his eyes bulge a bit.

"Mhm" I nod, "Then I heard you and some of your team speak at the lecture you gave at Georgetown. Ours last names were the same, so I went home and looked into it." I clarify and cross my left leg over my right.

"_When did you figure this all out?"_ he asks curiously.

"Well you gave the lecture on Saturday, so I guess I figured everything out by the end of Sunday" I recall, and Spencer's eyes widen.

"_You're quick_" _h_e grins. "_Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Lia Reid" _Spencer announces and puts his left hand out.

"The pleasure is mine, Spencer Reid" we shake hands as though we're being introduced for the first time, both of us grinning. We brake the hold and let out a chuckle.

"So _are you looking into any schools for next year? _He asks politely.

"Not so much" I shrug and take a sip of my coffee. "I think I'm going to take a year off to figure things out" I explain further, leaving out the part about me staying home because my mother can't function properly alone.

Silence falls yet again and I glance at my watch, realizing its pushing 6pm. Ethan is still in the car and I have yet to hear from my mother- no surprise there. I bounce my leg nervously and stare into my coffee cup. I take a deep breath and let out a small sigh.

"_I-Is something wrong?" _Spencer asks as I begin to stand up.

"No-no, I just have to get home to my mom, I didn't exactly tell her where I was going" a let out a nervous laugh and take the final gulp of my coffee.

"_Wait- here"_ he replies and slides me a slip with his phone number on it. _"Is it just you and your mom?"_ he asks, and a pit forms in my stomach.

"Yeah, for the most part. Us and the cat" I grin and try to avoid eye contact. "you have my number- so call whenever you want" I smile and brush my hair out of my face.

"_Will do"_ Spencer reciprocates on the balls of his feet. We both wave awkwardly, saying our nice goodbyes, and I head out the big glass doors down to the parking lot.

"_So, how'd it go?"_ Ethan asks tiredly .

"Well, it went well"I say with a grin. I start the car,put it in reverse, and drive the whole way home with a smile on my face.

I arrive at my doorstep at exactly 6:37, and I can hear the television from outside. I walk in to find my mother passed out on the couch, I cover her with a blanket and shut off the tv. Penny is waiting for me at the top of the stairs. She follows me into my room, where I turn ony my sound system and flop onto my bed- the sweet sound of Mozart's 8th symphony bleeding into my ears.


	6. Chapter 6

My eyes flutter open and my arms stretch upwards. The sun is just beginning rise, casting a blue tint on the space around me. I sit up and extend my torso, working out any kinks formed while tossing and turning the night away. It is 5:36 AM, Thusday, and I have to be at school in exactly two hours and twenty four minutes. I stay in bed until the clock strikes six, I uncurl from my position of cocooning Penny and head to the bathroom. Penny hops up on the toilet as usual, and I turn on the hot water.

I'm out of the shower and dried off in twenty two minutes. I emerge from the steam filled bathroom with my hair wrapped in a towel and cloaked in a robe. I peak into my mom's room to see that she's is still sleeping. I tip toe towards her bed and check to make sure she has a pulse, which she does, and she is breathing normally. I retreat back into my room to continue getting ready.

I leave my hair to air dry as I pull on a pair of black jeans. I slip on a plain white tank top and pull my arms through the sleeves of my grey cotton cardigan. I pop in a pair of light blue stud earrings, and head downstairs (Penny following me, of course). I turn on the kuerig and brew a large cup of brazilin dark roast coffee, add the allotted cream and sugar. It only being 6:45, I sit down at my kitchen table with my coffee and a copy of the French version of _Lolita_. I finish it in thirty minutes. It now being 7:15, I get off my ass and throw on my backpack, grab a banana from the counter, and I'm out the door.

I arrive at school at 7:40, twenty minutes to spare. I meet Ethan in the library as per usual.

"_You decided to come in today!"_ Ethan grins and throws his bag on the floor.

"Don't get too excited- I'll probably be in here for most of the day" I reply with my eyes narrowed. Ethan sighs.

"What? I get all of my work done plus extra credit" I defend.

"_But you only go to each class maybe twice a week"_ he replies with a concerned expression.

"I work better by myself" I reply and pull out my Physics notebook.

"_Fine, whatever works"_ he scoffs and sits down in the chair across from me.

"So, how was your day yesterday?" I ask while kicking him lightly in the shin.

"_Can't complain, what about yours?"_ he replies and takes an apple out of his bag.

"Fairly alright" I reply, "I'm meeting Spencer for coffee at the BAU after practice" I confess as my hands jitter out of nervousness and a large sum of caffeine.

"_Coffee at 5pm?" _Ethan says skeptically.

"There's never a bad time for coffee" I grin and take a textbook out of my bag. Ethan lets out a small laugh and then the school bell rings, startling the both of us.

"Have fun in Math!" I scream at him as he get up from his seat.

"_Have fun reading Russian Literature!"_ he shouts back. I had taken out my Physics work but because of Ethan's response, I put those away and crack open Mihail Lermontov's _A Hero of Our Time, _written entirely in Russian of course. I finish that in no time and head on the tackle the day's work I retrieved from my teachers yesterday, which included AP English, AP Physics, AP psychology, AP Stats, AP World history, AP Russian, and AP calculus.

Usually, if I do go to school, I spend the entire day in the library. I don't do well in crowds and I do better when I teach myself, I don't need to sit in a class room and work 45 minutes when I can get everything done in 20. Other days I don't bother going to school at all, I stay home and do my work from there. Every piece gets handed in on time (if not earlier) and my grades are perfect, but I'm still fighting the school over the seat time. I suggested homeschooling to my guidance counselor, because that's essentially what I've been doing, and she's taking it up with administration, which should take a while. But, that's a battle for another day.

I knock out all of my work and go to straight to the girls locker room after the 2 o'clock bell. I change into a pair of compression pants and a baggy shirt. We stretch out on the track and run a 1 mile warm up. We run lap after lap after lap, equating to about 4 miles. We do sprints and run another mile, then practice various field events. Practice lets out at 4:30 and i take a quick shower, which feels amazing against my aching muscles. I change back into my school outfit and rush home, where my mother is yet again- sleeping. I leave a note saying I will be gone and that I took her car, but I know she won't be awake to read it. I grab her keys and I'm back out the door.

I reach the café ten minutes later, I arrive first. I sit at two top table and a nice woman in a blue apron comes over to me.

"_Hey sweetie, what can I get you?"_ she asks with a smile.

"The darkest roast you have, please?" I reply.

"_Be right back" _the woman says and walks back into the kitchen. I bounce my leg incessantly and my heart beats faster and faster. Spencer walks through the door and although I thought I'd find some relief, but my chest still sinks.

"Hey" I say awkwardly.

"_Hi"_ he replies just the same and puts his bag down. There's an uncomfortable pause and the waitress comes back over with my coffee, along with a glass of cream and multiple sugar packets. "Thank you" I reply.

"_And you, what can I get ya?"_ she asks Spencer.

"_Plain black coffee is fine" _he replies with a smile. The waitress leaves and there's silence yet again.

"_So, uh, how was your day?"_ he asks

"Alright, not much happened. What about you?" I reply, staring into my coffee cup.

"_It was good, thanks"_ he grins. My leg bounces relentlessly. _"How was school?"_ he asks again.

"Same old same old" I reply with a smile. "How was work? Catch any serial killers on your lunch break?" I joke and the two of us laugh briefly.

"_No, just a lot of paper work" _he replies with a small smile. Silence falls yet again. The waitress comes back with his coffee, he thanks her and she disappears yet again.

"_So uh- do you think I could ask you a couple of questions?"_ Spencer request's, my stomach sinks.

"Um, yeah, of course" I comply and cross one leg over another.

"_You said our Dad left when you were 7?"_ he says and I nod my head.

"How old were you?" I repeat.

"_8"_ his smile flat lines. _"Do you know why he left?"_ he asks and my stomach turns to knots. I don't know how to say that my mother is a fall down drunk, and that my father packed up and left after she got so loaded one weekend he came home to her and a random guy passed out on their bed. That was to the last straw, and the last time I saw him. I stare into my coffee and don't say a word for approximately six seconds and tap my nails against my mug.

"_I'm sorry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to"_ Spencer spits out rapidly.

"No- no its fine" I reply, "she uh- she has her demons" I sigh, "he couldn't deal" I reply and slowly spin my mug around in a circle. "Why'd he leave you?" I ask and realize how harsh my words sounded. I kick myself.

"_The same situation, actually"_ he replies with a perplexed expression.

"Huh" I puff out and sit back in my seat. I cross my arms. "Seems like when the going gets tough he bails" I say in monotone.

"_Yeah, it seems so" _he replies with a flat grin.

Silence.

"So, do you watch tv? Assuming you're ever near one- being away so much" I spit out in hopes of cutting the underlying awkwardness that sits between us.

"_Not anything current,"_ he begins, _"But I do own the complete Star Trek series on DVD"_ he lets out a small laugh and my eyes light up.

"Hey, me too!" I smile back and the two of us let out a small chuckle.

"_Seriously?! I loaned episode eighteen to someone on my team but they never gave it back! do you think I could borrow it?"_ he asks rapidly, _"We can watch it together if you want"_ he throws in and I'm happy to obliged.

"Yeah, yeah that sounds great" a rush of warmth runs through my veins. "If you're not doing anything tonight, we could drop by my house and I can grab it and we can watch it at your place" I shoot out so fast I don't think before my lips start flapping. "Sorry, that sounded rude" I shake my head and look glance downward.

"_No, no its not rude at all" _Spencer laughs, relieving the pressure on my chest.

"I live like, ten minutes away. I would have to drop off my mom's car, though" I explain and Spencer nods his head.

"_Not a problem, I could drive you home later"_ Spencer offers and at first I'm a bit skeptical of the situation. I take a few moments to think, and come to the conclusion that it's a completely harmless plan.

"Sounds great" I say with a smile. I throw a five dollar bill on the counter, as does Spencer, and we're out of the café moments later.

"You'll follow me?" I presume as I unlock the car door.

"_Yep" _Spencer replies and we're off. I drive home with a smile on my face, park the car in the driveway, and Spencer parallel parks in front of my house.

I see the truck of my mom's scum-for-a-boyfriend parked directly next to me. I see the light in the living room is on, and another knot forms in my stomach. I get out of the car, walk up to the front door, and walk in quietly. I creep up the stairs to avoid being sighted, and it works. I'm safely up in my room searching for the DVD, Penny standing three feet behind me. I find what I'm looking for and throw it into my bag.

"Goodbye sweet girl" I tell Penny in a high pitched voice, scratch her chin, and turn towards the doorway_. _

I crash into a body. John's body, blocking my way.

"_Lia! You're home!" _he hisses with the stench of rum.

"Yeah, and I'm leaving" I retort and try to squeeze past him, but his body is like a giant brick.

"_No, you're not going anywhere"_ he sneers and for a second I can't breathe.

"Get out of my way" I growl and slip through the space between Johns side and the doorframe.

"_Not so fast"_ he growls and pushed me against the back wall, his both hands squeezing my neck

"Mom!" I let out a strained shout and cough.

"_She's passed out"_ he scorns, _"it's just you and me"_ he sneers and brushes my face with his free thumb. I squirm the best I can but I can't seem to get loose.

"Get the off of me" I snarl and continue to twist and turn. He pins my wrists above my head with one hand and unbuttons my jeans with the other. Next thing I know his hand it down my pants.

"Get the _hell _off of me!" I shout and knee him straight in the crotch. He lurches forward and I take the picture frame hanging on the wall and break it over his head, knowing he'd be passed out for enough time for me to get out of here.

I try and catch my breath and a few stray tears run down my cheeks. I run into my bedroom as fast as I can and grab a grey turtle neck from my dresser, covering up the marks left by the fifteen seconds of choking. I check my eyes: no petechiae. I shut the door and push my dress against it, locking Penny in my room in the case that John wakes up and its feeling extra vengeful- if he even remembers this night by morning. I kiss Penny on the head, open my window, and slip onto the slanted roof. I shut the window behind me and carefully slide down the siding, and jump 6 feet to the ground. I land everything but gracefully, grass stains definitely sinking into my jeans. I gather myself and walk around the house, towards Spencer's car.

I quickly jump into the passenger's seat, startling Spencer, still trying to catch my breath.

"_Is everything okay?" _he asks, confused and worried.

"Yeah, everything's fine" I lie through my teeth and can't help but sniffle.

"_It doesn't look fine"_ he replies doubtfully.

"Do you think I could stay at your place tonight?" I wipe the tears from my cheeks and make eye contact.

"_Of course you can"_ he replies quickly. _"What happened?"_ his face softens.

"Just uh- had a fight with my mom" I lie again.

My mind stops. My eyes are shut. My nose ceases to run. I listen to myself breathe in and out, in and out.

I open my eyes. I reset.

"Alright" I say with a smile, "let's go watch some star trek"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys! Just to clear something up, I described Lia as having more muscle in her arms and legs than Spencer because she's an athlete, not to make Spencer seem weak. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 7:**

"Wow, I haven't watched that episode in a solid two years" I grin as the clock strikes eight. I have been at Spencer's for an hour, the two of us on opposite sides of his red leather couch, a bowl of popcorn in between.

"_I can say the same"_ Spencer replies with an identical mouth structure.

Silence falls.

"_So, um, don't you have school tomorrow? It's a friday" _he says in hopes of conformation. My chest sinks.

"I don't really _need_ to go, I usually do my work from home. I'm not great with crowds and it's easier just to teach myself" I confess and rub my hands over my arms in an attempt to heat the goose bumps covering my body. My neck still burns.

"_I can relate"_ he responds and glances downward with a small smile.

Silence, yet again. I'm caught with a wave of nausea as I my brain switches back to dwelling on the ordeal at home. You can feel the tension in the air. I gulp and look down.

"_If you don't mind me asking, what did you fight about with your mom?"_ Spencer asks, which doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I saw it coming, but it still punched me in the chest. I know I can't tell him what actually happened, no way in hell, so I quickly work up a vague enough answer.

"She's a fall down drunk," I say more harsh than intended "so fights aren't hard to come by" I lie and trace a square with my finger on the leather surface. I never fight with my mom. I wonder if he can tell I'm lying through my teeth.

"_I'm sorry" _Spencer's smile flat lines and we make brief eye contact. I shrug my shoulders and look into my mug, half filled with hot chocolate.

"It's okay, not like you did anything" I reply and stir the hot liquid with my pinky finger. The clock ticks loudly. I scratch the red ring around my neck through the fabric surrounding it. I clear my throat.

"_You can uh- you can stay here whenever you need. I have an extra room but it's not really ready for inhabitance- but the couch is all yours"_ Spencer offers and I grin widely. _"I'm away a lot but the option is still open"_ he adds and my hearts warms.

"Thanks, I'll definitely take you up on that" I reply with a nod. I look to my right and see an entire wall of bookshelves, marking in my mind that the titles range from English to Russian. I tap my nails on my glass mug and grind my teeth.

"_Does your mom know you won't be home tonight?"_ Spencer asks lightly.

"Yeah-" I say in a high pitch tone. "Well, she doesn't really know _where_ I am, but if anything she'll call me" I explain an octave lower than when I started. "She doesn't exactly know I know I know about you" I confess and Spencer's brows shoot up.

"_Wait- she has no idea about any if this?"_ he replies frantically and I mentally kick myself.

"I haven't seen her sober at all since I found out" I say calmly, "I'd like to tell her about everything when she's lucid" I say straight faced and Spencer frowns. "Sorry if that came out harsh" I apologize when I hear myself.

"_No- no it's alright"_ he ensures and we sit in an awkward silence. _"I can uh- I can relate"_ he says with a slight grin. I'm intrigued.

"How so?" I sip my hot chocolate.

"_My mom is a paranoid schizophrenic" _he replies oh-so-casually.

"Shit" I mumble, "and it was just you and your mom after our dad left?" I ask cautiously.

"_Yep, just us"_ he responds and my chest aches.

"Must have been hard" I trace the rim of my cup.

"_Yeah but, I wouldn't trade it" _he replies and that ache in my chest warms up and I don't mind it being there.

"That's cute" I grin widely. "How's your mom doing now?" I ask while grinning.

"_She's good, she's in a facility in Las Vegas" _he confesses and I sip my drink.

"Good, good I'm glad she's doing well" I say honestly and nod my head.

"_Me too"_ he grins his contagious grin and there's a silence- but this time it's not uncomfortable. It's...easy.

"So, do you want to watch episode 19 and then call it a night?" I suggest lively to Spencer.

"_Sure"_ he replies and gets up to assemble it into the DVD player. _"I can drive you home in morning before I go to work, i-if you need"_ he responds.

"No, it's okay. I can get a ride tomorrow" I assure him and cross my legs. The episode starts and I end up passing out halfway through, out cold on Spencer's couch.

And I sleep.

Next thing I know I'm rubbing my eyes open and the chirp of the birds are going in one ear out the other. My body has a few kinks, my neck is slightly aching. I glance at the clock and my stomach sinks.

_**10:36am. **_I cannot remember a time where I slept passed eight thirty.

"Shit" I shout as I throw the fleece blanket off my body. I rub my face and stand up a bit too quickly, almost teetering over. I look to my right and see a note, signed by Spencer.

_**I didn't want to wake you. I left the coffee pot on, the mugs are in the cabinet above the stove. Call me if you need anything,**_

_** Spencer**_

I grin as my eyes scan the letters written on the plain white paper. It's the first time in months I've woken up refreshed, no worries that haunted my sleep. I stretch my arms and grab my cell phone- no messages missed. I go into the bathroom, pee, and take a look at the red marks surrounding my neck. I gulp.

I make my way into the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee in a plain green mug. I drink it while pacing around, soaking in the bits and pieces of Spencer's apartment. I find myself picking books out of his book shelves, reading each one in approximately twenty minutes. I read until the clock strikes two, and then I decide it's time to go home.

I don't call for a ride, I take it upon myself to ride the metro home. I do this silently.

I reach my home and see my mother's lone Volvo in the driveway, which means her scum bag of a boyfriend decided to leave the premises. I turn my key in the lock and kick my shoes off in the hallway.

"Mom! I'm home" I shout in hopes of her response.

"_Hey sweetie" _she emerges from the kitchen and kissed me on the cheek.

She's sober.

"_How was school?" _she asks, my chest sinks.

"Can I talk to you about something?" I divert the conversation and her expression flushes.

"_Yeah, yeah of course"_ she replies and rubs my arms. We stand in the hallway, me avoiding all eye contact and tapping my foot. I take a deep breath.


	8. Authors note

A/N: Hey guys! So I feel the need to respond to a review I received.

I put everyone but Lia's dialog in italics because it's the way I've always written. I do it so the reader knows she's not the one talking right off of the bat.

As for the skipping school for reasons I haven't fully explained yet, it does make sense. She's on the route to homeschooling but schools tend to move slowly when it comes to that (I was on home tutoring for a chunk of my sophomore year of high school). She gets her coursework early in the week and essentially teaches herself, she's an autodidact just doesn't know it. She _is_ a genius, she is 15 and a senior in high school, and she has an eidetic memory like I've stated.

I'm sorry if this sounded harsh!


	9. Chapter 8

**Trigger warning (sexual assault) towards the end**

**Chapter 8:**

"_Why didn't you talk to me about this sooner?"_ my mother says with tears in her eyes. I have spent the past ten minutes explaining the past week, from the lecture at Georgetown to spending the night on Spencer's couch.

"I didn't want to discuss this when you were drunk" I reply. "Wait, so you knew about this?" I retort back harshly. She doesn't respond. "You knew all of this time that I had a half brother?" I say calmly, keeping myself in check.

"_I didn't know much about him when your father left, I didn't think it was worth perusing"_ she chokes out.

"I was under the impression for fifteen years that I was an only child," I reply while trying to hide the anger in my voice, "Do you have any idea how lonely it's been?" I say on the verge of tears.

"_I'm sorry" _she replies, face staring at wood floor. I look her up and down and suddenly I feel sick.

"Yeah, me too" I snap back and quickly make my way to the staircase. My mother is crying, but she doesn't say a word.

I go to open my bedroom door and remember that I pushed my dresser in front of it approximately fourteen hours ago. I kick the door out of anger and rest my forehead on its frame. I breathe in and out. I gather myself.

After a few minutes I climb out the window of the hallway, leading me to the landing on the roof, where I take three steps to my bedroom window that I left cracked. I lift it open and climb through, greeted by Penny sitting a few feet away.

"Hey sweet girl" I coo and run my hands through her fur. I walk over to my door and push the dresser out of the way. I got into my closet and quickly change into workout clothes. I slip my running sneakers on and I'm out the door.

"_Lia!"_ my mother yells after me but I ignore her. I concentrate on my feet hitting the pavement. A variety of turns later and I'm in Ethan's front lawn. I see his bike locked on his front porch so I'm sure he's home from school. I catch my breath and knock on the door.

"_Hey"_ Ethan welcomes in a slightly confused manor.

"Hey" I pant and walk into his front hallway. I make my way into his living room and crash onto his couch.

"_What's up?" _ Ethan asks and sits down next to me. I pause.

"I talked to my mom about Spencer" I throw out into the air, "And I stayed at his apartment last night" I inform him and let it sink in.

"_Damn"_ he replies and puts his feet up on the coffee table. "Why'd you stay at his place last night?" Ethan asks gently.

"We were just going to watch star trek and he was going to take me home, I had to stop at home and John was over" I sigh and bite the inside of my cheek, looking everywhere but at Ethan. His eyes soften.

"_Was he messing around with you again?"_ he asks with a frown. I stare at the floor and a few tears escape my eyes.

"Yeah" I reply and wipe my cheeks.

"_Did you tell Spencer what he's been doing to you?" _Ethan asks although he already knows the answer.

"No, and I'm not going to" I snap back.

"_Lia-" _he tilts his head,

"No" I shoot back calmly. "He doesn't need to know" I mutter.

"_Why are you wearing a turtle neck?"_ he asks skeptically. I gulp and pull down the fabric covering the red ring around my skin. Ethan sighs and doesn't say a word.

"_Does it hurt?"_ he asks,

"Just stings" I reply softly.

Ethan leaves the room and comes back with a bottle of water and an ice pack, and hands both to me.

"Thanks" I reply and take a large sip of the water and rest the ice pack on the back of my neck. We sit in comfortable silence.

"How was school?" I ask, deflecting from my situation.

"_It was school"_ he responds. I kick my shoes off and pull my knees to my chest.

"_Here"_ Ethan says and hands me a throw blanket.

"Thank you" I repeat. He turns on the television.

"_What will it be? Supernatural or Doctor Who?"_ he asks with a grin.

"Doctor Who of course" I smile back and make myself comfortable on the couch. We sit and watch for hours, snacking on popcorn and chatting about nonsense. For a while I forget about what's going on around me. I have Ethan to thank for that.

I'm snapped out of my trance by my phone going off at 7pm. It's a text from Spencer, explaining that he'll be away on a case for the next few days, and that he hopes I'm well.

"Hey, can I sleep over?" I ask Ethan cautiously.

"_I already figured you were. Its friday"_ he replies with grin. I smile back. _"I'll make us hot chocolate"_ he announces and runs off to the kitchen. A warming sensation spurs in my core and radiates though out my body.

I am at ease.

We fall asleep on the living room couch at around midnight. We wake up at exactly 7:34, stretching our arms and yawning.

"_Coffee?"_ are the first words out of Ethan's mouth.

"Of course" I say on towards the end of a yawn. We both stand up and make our way into the kitchen, I throw myself onto the barstool in front of the granite counter. Ethan fixes my coffee exactly the way I like and passes it to me. I take a sip and Ethan takes a seat next to me.

"You're the best" I nudge him with my elbow.

"_Oh I know"_ he replies in a cocky tone. We both laugh. We finish our coffee in a matter of ten minutes.

"I should get going" I announce after my last sip.

"_You sure?"_ Ethan raises. .

"Yeah, its cleaning day" I reply and slide off of the chair. "Thanks for being you" I grin and punch him lightly in the shoulder. "I'll see you on Monday"

"_Ooo, Lia's going to school on a Monday!"_ Ethan mocks as he follows me to the door

Fuck off" I giggle and exit his front porch.

I walk block to block clearing my head, observing the way the trees sway and the noises of the early morning. My head is clear as I walk up the grass to my front door. I unlock it and enter into a silent house. I make a bee line straight up to my room, where I kick off my shoes and take off my shirt, leaving me in just compression pants and a sports bra. Penny trots out of my closet and weaves in and out of my legs, purring. I crouch down to pet her and I hear the stairs creek.

"Mom?" I call out from the other side of my room. I don't get an answer. I walk toward my bedroom door and pull it open.

My heart almost stops. It's not my mom.

"_Long time no see"_ my mother's scum of a boyfriend hisses from my doorway.

"What do you want?"

"_A deal"_ he cocks his head and crosses his arms.

"What are you talking about?" I scoff and lean against my wall.

"_You're aware that I've been paying the mortgage on this house for the last 4 months, correct?"_ he replies and the knot in my stomach is back.

"I guess my mother forgot to mention that" I say in an irritated tone.

"_Well, you see, if I stop paying, you get evicted. And you don't want that, do you?" _he spews and advances towards me. I take a step back.

"_So, you give me what I want, and I'll make sure you keep this roof over your head"_ he proposes like a business deal, my stomach churns and my throat runs dry and begins to crack. I gulp and shake my head left to right vigorously.

"No, no" I choke out, sweat building on my upper lip. My heart feels like it's going to come out my mouth and my blood runs cold.

John grabs my neck and my eyes bulge. I can't breathe until he releases his grip and shoves me back onto my bed. I cough twice and suddenly I'm face down in my pillows. I try and scream but he's holding his hand on the back of my head and I can't make a sound. I squirm with every ounce of energy I have in my body but it's not enough, because next I know my pants are being torn off and I'm pulled towards his sweaty body. He flips me over and before I can scream his hand is over my mouth.

Next thing I know he's inside of me, thrusting into me over and over and over again, relentlessly. I start to cry continuously from the pain and the unwanted presence of his filth in my body. After using all every inch of myself to get out of his grip, I give up and go limp, staring up at the ceiling fan. It feels like hours pass by until a weight is literally lifted off of me, John's weight. He pulls his pants and buckled his belt. I slowly sit up like I'm in a fog. I pull my underwear back up and realize I'm shaking. I wipe my cheeks and cough numerous times as I try and catch my breath. John's going on and on but I can't seem to hear him.

My mind runs blank.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I don't leave my room for the rest of Saturday. Penny sleeps soundly in the nook created by my fetal position. She makes small wheezing noises as she nuzzles her head deeper into my side. I run my hands down her fur over and over again, tears escaping from my eyes. I watch through my blinds as the sun goes down. I fade into a light sleep for what feels like hours, but is only two, because I'm woken up by a knock at my door.

"_Lia? It's mom" _the voice calls out and enters my bedroom. I turn around, disturbing Penny and causing her slip under my covers.

"Yeah?" I say and rub my eyes.

"_I'm sorry if I woke you up"_ she apologizes with a frown.

"It's okay" I shrug. She sits at the end of my bed.

"_I miss you"_ she admits and rubs my left leg. My eyes soften.

"I miss you too" I repeat with a grin. She's sober.

"_You've been cooped up all day, how do you feel about getting pizza?_"my mother suggestsand my core begins to warm.

"Can we get ice cream instead?" I ask in a somewhat whine.

"_Yeah, we can"_ she laughs and so do I.

"I just have to take a quick shower" I announce but refrain from getting out of bed.

"_Alright, I'll let you do that"_ my mom grins and exits my bedroom. I throw my covers off and go straight to my full length mirror.

The inside of my thighs are bruised from where he held my legs open. There's a bit of dry blood on my inner thigh. I lift up my shirt and see my ribs also bruised from the fight I put up. I look away.

I put on my robe and grab a towel. Penny follows me into the bathroom, as per usual, and I turn on the hot water. I slip into the shower and wash every crevice of my being, three times. I scrub and scrub and scrub, but I still don't feel clean. I give up and dry off, wrap my hair in a towel, and throw on a plain black pair of leggings and a red sweatshirt. I put on my grey converse and I pound my way down the stairs, throw on my purse so it's strapped across my chest. I walk into the kitchen and see my mother.

"Ready?" I ask with a small grin.

"_Yeah, lets go"_ she grins back and grabs her keys.

We get in the Volvo.

"_So, Baskin Robbins or McSweaney's?"_ my mother asks while pulling out of the driveway.

"McSweaney's of course" I reply. Bon Jovi plays for the ride there.

"_I'll have vanilla soft serve in a cone, please"_ my mother tells the man behind the counter at the ice cream store. He's tall, dark complexion, green eyes.

"Can I get rocky road in a sugar cone, please?" I ask the man.

"_Of course you can. That'll be $10.75" _he replies and my mother pays. He assembles and hands each of us our desserts.

"Thanks so much" I grin and the two of us accept our treat and take a seat at a small booth.

"_Good?"_ my mother asks with brows raised as I dig into my ice cream almost savagely.

"As always" I reply with a smile. We sit in silence for a while, focused solely on eating.

"_Your school called"_ my mom pipes up from behind her ice cream _"You've missed forty days of school and it's only the middle of October" _she continues and I sink into my seat without a word.I fiddle with my fingers and remain silent. _"You won't graduate if you keep this up"_ she tacks on to the charge, I still don't respond.

"I'll graduate if they let me go onto home tutoring" I mumble and avoid eye contact. My mother sighs.

"_They said it's going to take another week and a few meetings"_ she informs me from across the table. _"We're scheduled to meet with your guidance counselor and your vice principle Monday morning at 8" _she continues andmy stomach sinks.

"Ugh" I groan and slump back in my seat, rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands. "This is going to suck" I say and sink lower. I lock eyes with my mother and her frown takes a blow to my chest. I slap on a fake smile in hopes of wiping that frown away, and it works. She grins.

"It'll suck but I'll get over it" I announce and lean forward.

"_Thank you" _she replies a little bit lighter than before.

"You're welcome" I reply warmly.

I decide not to mention that I know she lost her job, that I know John is paying the mortgage and that if I don't give him what he wants we get evicted, which would most likely mean we would have to move in with him. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that would mean for me. I gulp, accompanied by a yawn. I glance at my watch to see it's passed 9pm.

"What do you say we start heading home, I'm exhausted" I suggest with a pit in my stomach and take a lick of my ice cream.

"_Sure"_ my mother replies and we're out of the shop minutes later. We arrive home shortly after and I kick off my shoes.

"Thanks for the ice cream" I grin at my mother and give her a tight hug.

"_Anytime baby" _she replies and hugs me tightly back. We stay in that position for a number of seconds, I breathe in the scent of her skin, the same scent that's brought me comfort for fifteen years. Baby oil and Donna Karen Gold perfume. I immediately relax.

"Would you mind if I slept in your bed tonight?" I ask timidly, cringing at the thought of sleeping in the same bed that reeked of cigarettes and bourbon.

"_Of course"_ she replies and kisses me on the forehead.

"Okay, I'll go get change" I announce and unhook myself from my mother and head up to my room. I walk in and Penny is sleeping on my dresser. I immediately go to my bed and rip its comforter off, then strip the pillows, then rip off my blue sheets that are stained with small drops of blood. I shove the linins under my bed and wipe a tear that has escaped from my left eye. I change into a baggy grey sleep shirt and cross over to my mother's room. I climb into her queen sized bed that smells of her, and I'm asleep in minutes.

I wake up the next morning, a Sunday, my mother soundly asleep next to me. I go back to sleep, the sound sleep I have craved for so long. I spend the day fading in and out of consciousness, my mind blank. I do not dream, and my mother doesn't bother me. Not an ounce of energy in my body. I briefly wake in the afternoon and see a PB&amp;J sitting on the nightstand next to me. I grin and robotically take small bites out of the sandwich. I leave a quarter of it behind and take a swig from the water bottle on the floor next to me. I fall back asleep.

I officially wake up at 5:42am, Monday morning. I am fully aware that i have to endure a meeting at school, and I'm less than thrilled. I sit up and stretch, put my hair into a pony tail, and head downstairs and into the kitchen. I turn on the coffee maker and brew a cup, and I drink it on my front porch with my knees pulled to my chest. I listen as the world around me wakes, birds chirping and cars starting. I feel my eye lids getting heavy, I check my watch and it's already half passed six. I go inside and take a shower, Penny sitting on the toilet lid as per usual. I finish washing myself and turn off the water, twist my hair in with my towel, and brush my teeth. After reaching my bedroom I pull on a pair of black jeans, a cream colored v-neck sweater that fits closely around my torso. I let my hair down and allow it to air dry as I apply a small amount of concealer on and around my eyes, trying to mask the bags that have stationed themselves below my lower lid. I don't bother with further makeup and slip on my hazelnut oxfords. I grab my back pack and head into my moms room, where she is not.

On my fifteen minute walk to school I stop at the local deli and pick up an egg sandwich and a bag of potato chips for Ethan, a veggie humus wrap and strawberry yogurt for me, and two chocolate milks. I pay for it all and I'm on my way again, and I reach the school in a matter of minutes. Hundreds of teenagers are milling around the front lawn, slowly pouring into the temporary prison that stands in front of me. I take three deep breaths and keep my eyes glued to the ground as I walk up the concrete walk way and through a set of metal doors. I enter the lobby of the building and students are milling everywhere. I make a bee-line for the library, where Ethan is sitting in our usual meeting spot.

"Hey" I sit down and toss Ethan his sandwich accompanied by his chocolate drink.

"_Hey, thanks" _he replies and unwraps his food.

"No problem" I nod, take a seat, and open my yogurt. "How was the rest of your weekend?" I ask as Ethan gnaws at his sandwich.

"_Fine, boring. You?"_ he says with his mouth full.

"About the same" I respond and shove a spoon full of yogurt into my trap. The pit in my stomach that the events of Saturday left in my stomach stirs. I don't even think about saying a word about what I endured. Before Ethan can answer my phone begins to ring from my back pocket, making me jump.

"_Who the hell is calling you at 7:45 in the morning?"_ Ethan asks with a raised brow.

"Beats me" I reply as I reach for my phone. I look at the caller ID and my nerves are at ease. "Spencer does apparently" I declare and put the phone to my ear.

"Hey" I answer with perk.

"_Hey, h-how are you?"_ Spencer asks from the other end.

"Good, good. What about you?" I respond.

"_I'm good, thanks"_ he replies, _"I thought I'd call and let you know that we're on our way back to Virginia now, we should arrive in a couple of hours" _he informs me.

"Oh, that was quick" I nod my head in understanding although he can see it. "You solved a case in three days?" I say in slight disbelief.

"_Uh- yeah, yeah we did" _he says back and I can tell from the tone of his voice that he's grinning.

"Damn, you guys must be good" I counter and take a small bite of my yogurt. "I can stop by later if you want" I offer as a reflex.

"_Yeah- yeah sure. I'll be at the BAU until late so you can come by whenever you want" _he responds and I work the trip out in my head.

"I have practice until 4:30 so can be there by half passed five" I assure him and cross my legs.

"_Great, so I'll see you then"_ he replies.

"Yeah, see you then" I repeat and we hang up. I let out a long breath.

"_Long day, huh?"_ Ethan pipes up. I open my mouth to answer and the first period bell rings. I roll my eyes. I go to speak again and a voice comes over the loud speaker:

"_Lia Reid, please report to the guidance office. Lia Reid please report to the guidance office" _the voice repeats.

"Ugh" I grunt and stand up, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. Ethan laughs. "Guess I'll see you later" I say monotone and reluctantly make my way down the hall.


	11. Chapter 10

**Sorry this took so long! I'll post the next one asap :) **

**Chapter 10**

"_Lia?"_ a woman I've never seen before- but is apparently my vice principle, shouts from the opposite end of the guidance office. I stand up with my hands gripped tightly to the strap of my backpack. I advance towards her and she sticks her hand out.

"Hi" I greet with a smile and we shake hands.

"_It's nice to meet you"_ she replies, _"follow me, your mom is already in Dr. Deeg's office"_ she informs me and I follow her down the narrow labyrinth- like-hallway lined with rooms with closed doors and name plates. We reach our destination, a small ten by ten room with a mahogany desk, three padded chairs (my mother in one of them), plain white walls littered with degrees and certificates. I sit down next to my mother and we exchange smiles.

"_Hi Lia, it's nice to see you"_ Dr. Deeg welcomes from behind the wooden fixture. My vice principle pulls a chair up next to my guidance counselor and begins going through a series of papers- presumably my file.

It's five minutes to eight and my mother is nowhere to be found.

"Hi, nice to see you too" I respond shyly. I bounce my leg incessantly.

"_So, I see you want to pursue home tutoring?"_ Dr. Deeg states and I nod my head.

"Yes, that's correct" I reply.

"_Can you tell us why that is? I mean, what's changed from last year to now? The last time you were in my office you were thrilled about skipping eleventh grade and going on to twelfth"_ she inquires and a lump forms in my throat. I look at my mother, who takes my hand and grasps on.

"Well, senior year when you're fifteen isn't exactly a walk in the park." I say with a nervous laugh. I receive stares. I look to my mother, who nods her head ever so slightly. "I um, I have an issue with over-stimulation" I choke out reluctantly, body tense. "My hearing heightens, I-I start to shake, and I-uh, I cry and it's just- not pretty" I explain while rubbing my color bone with my free hand, avoiding eye contact until my last two words. "It's been an issue since I was little, at certain times in my life it's been less prevalent, but high school has proven to enable the, uh- issue at hand" I continue to elucidate and collect sympathetic gazes. I await a response.

"_Have you seen a therapist or a psychiatrist about this?"_ Dr. Deeg asks and my mother and I exchange looks.

"_Not since she was eight" _my mother pipes up, guidance counselor scribbling away on her note pad. _"It's nearly impossible to get information out of her on how she's feeling. She makes sure you can't" _she continues to blurt out and I resist the urge to kick her in the leg. The two women behind the desk glance at each other.

"Look," I say while leaning forward, taking my hand back from my mothers grip and clasping my palms together. "My grades are perfect. I get all of my work done on time, I take 5 AP classes. I've been teaching myself since I learned how to read. Academically, I'm on track to graduate in June. But I know that I can't graduate if I continue to rack up X amount of absences" I lock eyes with my guidance counselor. "So I'm asking you- no, I'm begging you, please pull me out of this place" I plea with every inch of myself. I await a response.

"_Alright, I think you've made your case" _my vice principle nods. _"We have some paper work to go through, but we can send a tutor to your house as soon as Thursday. You'll meet with a different tutor each day for two hours, each tutor will teach you two subjects"_ she grins and I can't help but let out a sigh of relief and drop my head momentarily. _"As for track, you'll be allowed to finish off the season"_ she continues,_ "And I strongly suggest you start seeing a therapist, I think you could really benefit from it"_ Dr. Deeg advises and I swallow the golf ball stuck in my throat. I consider it for a moment and then boot the idea out of my mind. _"You're a very bright girl, we wish you the very best"_ she says with a wide grin and my mother and I stand up.

"Thank you" I reply with an ear to ear grin, which me and my mother share, and I shake the adults hands.

"_Thank you"_ my mother repeats my words and my motions.

"_It's been a pleasure"_ my vice principle- who's name I still do not know- tacks on to the end of the conversation and my mother and I exit the office. She kisses me on the top of the head.

"_Proud of you"_ she says as we make our way back to the reception area.

"Why? I didn't even do anything" I giggle in response.

"_Yes you did, you don't know it, but you did"_ she replies and rubs my shoulder.

"If you say so" I agree and before I know it we're out in the hallway. "I'm going to go find Ethan and give him the rundown" I tell her and she nods.

"_Alright, I'll see you at home. Love you" _she responds

"Love you too" I shout back while walking backwards down the hallway. I practically skip my way up the stairs and to Ethan's study hall room, where the door is open and he's sitting two rows away reading, twenty two minutes left in the period. The teacher in charge has her back turned organizing papers, and while she isn't looking I dart into the classroom and grab Ethan by the arm, swinging him into the hallway.

"_What the hell?" _he blurts out.

"Guess who is officially on home tutoring and doesn't have to go back to this hell hole?" I announce, trying not to squeal.

"_Seriously?!"_ he gawks and I nod my head vigorously. He gives me a tight hug, lifting me off my feet for a few seconds and placing me back down. _"What about track?"_ He asks.

"I can finish off the season" I grin and pause. "Go back to class, I just wanted to let you know" I nudge his shoulder and take a few steps back. "Sorry I'm leaving you here to fend for yourself" I apologize while striding backwards.

"_I'm a big boy, I can handle it. It'll suck but hey, I'll deal"_ he replies with a laugh and a small smile. _"Expect me on your doorstep at 2:30 tomorrow"_ are Ethan's final words before disappearing back into his classroom.

I make my way back to the library where I stay for the following 4 periods. I decide to brave my last 3 classes, AP Russian, AP Stats, AP Psychology, leaving ninth period free for me to clean out my locker. The second the last bell rings I make a mad dash for the girls locker room, then changing into my workout clothes and meeting my teammates on the track. An hour of stretching and conditioning later, we are ordered to run 4 miles through the neighborhood wrapped around the school. We are dismissed at 4:32, and by 4:40 I exit the school and walk the fifteen minutes home, eating a banana on the way, my legs aching with every motion. I arrive at the foot of my driveway at 4:55.

"Mom? I'm home" I shout as I kick my shoes off in the hallway. Penny is waiting at the top of the stairs, as per usual. I take thirteen steps into the kitchen, where my mother is sitting at the granite counter top- face down. I immediately roll my eyes and make my way to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her back up against the barstool.

"_Mmmm"_ she groans at the touch of my hands. There's a bottle of gin on the chair next to her.

"I do not have time for this" I mutter under my breath and gently slap my mother on her left cheek. "Mom, come on let's move" I warn her before lifting her body out of the chair with every ounce of energy I have left, her feet only supporting a quarter of her body mass. My legs quiver under her weight. I deliver her to the living room couch and place a blanket over her side. Before I go upstairs I go to retrieve a water bottle from the fridge and a sleeve of saltines from the cabinet, and I leave them on the carpet below my mother.

I quickly trump up the stairs and go straight to the bathroom, Penny following shortly behind. She takes her perch, and I spend 7 minutes washing the day's grit off of my body. I can't help but notice the bruises that rest on my inner thighs, hues of purple and pink. My stomach churns at the sight of them and I quickly look away. I take a deep breath.

When I'm finished showering I make my way to my bedroom, throw on a pair of light wash jeans and a black cotton v-neck. I pull my hair into a simple French braid, and eight minutes later I'm replacing Penny's food and water, locking her in my bedroom for the night. By 5:20 I'm out the door, my mother's keys in my hand.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

By 5:34 I'm in the parking lot of the BAU, making my way up to the seventh floor and spotting Spencer almost immediately in the bull pen.

"Hey!" I greet Spencer as I plop my bottom on top of a free space on his desk, taking him by surprise.

"_Hey, you made it"_ he responds with a smile on his face, closing the file in front of him.

"I'm a woman of my word" I reply, "How've you been?" I ask while swinging my legs back and forth.

"_I can't complain"_ he answers, _"What about you?"_

I pause. I reflect on the events of the past four days, the bad out weighing the good by miles.

"I guess I could say the same" I lie with a fake grin. I quickly take a glance of my surroundings, and in doing so I realize that there are three pairs of eyes on me.

"Um, Spencer?" I lean in and speak lowly. "I'm being stared at" I laugh and Spencer pushes back his chair so they're in his view.

"_Really?"_ he deadpans to the three agents, who immediately make it look as though they're doing paperwork

"Hi, I'm Lia- the long lost half sister" I introduce myself while hopping off Spencer's desk, and approach the desk of the ebony haired woman.

"_Emily"_ she sticks her hand out and we shake.

"_Jennifer, you can call me JJ"_ the petite blonde sitting on Emily's desk pipes up. We shake hands.

"_Derek Morgan" _the tall, dark skinned, and rather good looking man from the next desk over says as he approaches my vicinity. _"Pleasure to meet you Lia"_ he grins and we shake hands.

"It's nice to formally meet you" I say somewhat nervously to the three with a wide grin. "Aren't there three more of you? Agents, I mean. " I blurt out nervously. They all smile.Before any of them could answer, a heavy set blonde woman came rushing around the desk in my direction. She was wearing a hot pink dress with yellow tights, a blue cardigan, and purple shoes. It was an interesting outfit, but she pulled it off damn well. I could tell she was wearing purple eye makeup behind her plain black glasses, but I couldn't tell the initial color of her eyes. Maybe brown, blue, even green, but I wasn't positive.

"_Out of my way!" _she shouts while frantically waving her hands through the crowd of people she was rushing through.

"_You must be Lia" _The pep in her voice was something I definitely not something I was use to, but it was refreshing._ "I'm Penelope, all knowing goddess of technology and optimism, but you can call me Garcia. You, my love, are absolutely stunning"_ the vibrant young woman introduces herself, and I can't help but grin ear to ear.

"Oh, um, th-thank you" I stutter and keep the corners of my mouth pointed upward. No one says a word, they just stare at me. I look around the room awkwardly, hoping someone would say a word.

"_Pretty boy has a sister..."_ Derek chuckles and I do in return.

"Pretty boy?" I laugh and glance back at Spencer. I scan his being. "I can see it... I think" I conclude and grip the desk below me.

They continue to stare.

"Um, is there a way I could get a cup of coffee?" I ask awkwardly.

"_Oh, of course! I could use cup myself" _Emily gladly accepts, and I hop off the desk. I can feel eyes scanning my being as I walk silently in the opposite direction, muscles tense. I swallow the lump in my throat.

We reach the counter top where Emily hands me a blue 'FBI' mug, and grabs one for herself. She pours the bitter liquid into the vacant cups.

"Thanks" I grin and add sugar, followed by cream. Emily adds Spleda to hers. I turn around and lean against the counter, analyzing the room around me and the people in it. Agents moving from desk to desk, stacks of files being exchanged. Phones ringing. My eyes wander over to the BAU's section, where I can see Spencer peering directly at me. I stick my tongue out, puff out my cheeks and cross my eyes, breaking the expression when I giggle. Spencer returns the favor by straining the facial muscles and dropping his jaw, and I can't help but laugh a little louder. I catch Emily's attention.

"_What's so funny?"_ she asks with a smirk. I point at Spencer, and Emily lets out a small laugh. _"He talks about you a lot, ya know" _she informs me, and I won't lie, I'm slightly taken back.

"Really?" I reply.

"_Are you surprised?" _she responds.

"Sort of" I say and take gulp of my coffee. "What does he say?" I ask curiously.

"_Your similarities mostly, how smart you are"_ she goes on and I blush. _"He says you're graduating this year?"_ she mentions and I nod my head.

"Yeah, in June" I confirm with a smile, "It can't come soon enough" I add and take another sip.

"_My thoughts were the same when I was in high school, couldn't wait to get out"_ she says with a grin.

"_Lia!"_ a voice cuts in from my left, startling me. My body jolts and coffee sloshes all over my left hand, my heart almost skipping a beat.

"Crap" I mutter lowly to myself as Emily takes the mug from my hand and exchanges it for paper towels. I look to man next to me and do my best to plaster a smile on my face. "Sorry," I say with a nervous laugh.

"_No, I apologize, I snuck up on you"_ the dark haired, emotionless man apologizes, _"SSA Aaron Hotcher"_ he introduces and sticks out his hand, we shake.

"It's nice to meet you" I grin and hope my cheeks don't appear as fiery as they feel.

"_And you as well"_ he replies stern faced. I examine his features and add it to the compartment of my brain that holds the physical analysis of each person I've ever met. _"We've all heard a lot things about you"_ he admits without a facial expression.

"Good things I hope?" I counter. Hotch cracks a small smile, which I don't expect. Emily does the same.

"_Nothing but"_ Hotch replies, and within moments his name is called from across the bullpen. It's JJ, holing a manila folder, looking rather grim. _"Excuse me"_ are Hotch's final words before meeting JJ and the two retreat into his office.

"_Damn" _Emily mutters under her breath.

"What?" I answer.

"_There's another case" _she sighs.

"But you guys just got back" I reply and sip my coffee.

"_Welcome to the BAU"_

...

When I arrive home the house is cloaked in darkness. It is 8:46pm, the past few hours spent at the BAU as the team prepares to leave for a case the following morning. No much conversation is held, but instead comfortable silence. It's exactly what I needed. Quiet.

I check the living room, where my mother is not. I check the kitchen, not there either. I quickly tread upstairs and find my mother sleeping soundly in her bed. A small smile crosses my face and I retreat in my bedroom, Penny sitting on my computer desk gazing out the window.

"Hi sweet girl" I coo and scratch her chin. She leans in and I run my finger through her fur. My core warms as my attention is completely occupied by the pudgy ball of love before me. I grin ear to ear.

"_Your ass looks nice in those jeans"_ a snarl peeks out and destroys the tranquil silence. I don't need eyes in the back of my head to know who it is. My blood freezes in my veins.

I immediately scoop up Penny and let place her down on the ground, where she scurries underneath my bed. I turn and glare in John's direction. "Go away" I roll my eyes and turn my back, tidying the books and papers scattered atop my desk. "I'm tired" I sigh. Suddenly my braid is yanked back, pulling me with it, and I'm thrown onto my bed.

"_Good, you won't be able to fight as much"_

I don't say a word. I don't move a muscle. I close my eyes, pretend I'm somewhere else, anywhere but the position I'm in now. I think of myself running, running running running. Soaring over dirt mounds and leaping over sumps.

_Push it to the back of your mind, Lia. The back of your mind. _


End file.
